Product manufacturers incorporate a wide variety of raw materials as well as processed materials in their products. In some instances, these raw and processed materials contain materials which can be considered to be undesirable or hazardous. In an attempt to reduce an individual's exposure to hazardous materials, as well as to reduce the amount of pollutants being introduced in the environment, governments have begun to regulate the use of such materials. In particular, some governments have passed laws to regulate the type and amount of these materials used in the manufacture of products. In addition, some governments have passed laws to regulate the recycling of such materials.
Hazardous or undesirable materials can be found in electrical equipment. For instance, it has been found that electrical equipment can include electrical components containing lead, mercury, cadmium or hexavalent chromium. (As stated herein, electrical components include electronic components as well.) In addition, the enclosures for such equipment can include flame retardant materials, two of which are, polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Because such materials can pose environmental risks, the European Union has created a standard, which if met, can reduce the amount of these materials in and on electrical equipment and components. This directive is called the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) Directive. While certain exemptions have been provided, for instance, the use of mercury in fluorescent lamps or lead in glass used in cathode ray tubes, products must meet these reduced levels of these materials by Jul. 1, 2006. In addition, it should be noted that PBBs and PBDEs have been exempted, for the time being, by the European Union.
To be RoHS compliant, the amount of lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers must be less than one thousand parts per million. For cadmium, the limit is set to less than one hundred parts per million. While this European Union directive only applies to the countries of the European Union, it is presumed that electronic and electrical equipment manufacturers will convert all of their products to meet the RoHS standards, even for those products sold in the United States, since market forces indicate that converting all products to RoHS compliant products can provide more cost effective manufacturing. While the United States has not adopted a similar standard, the state of California has its own so called “California RoHS” standards which are to be effective January, 2007. Japan and China have also adopted standards identical to the RoHS standards to be effective July, 2006.
Currently, a large number of electrical components are manufactured to include the previously stated materials in quantities exceeding the standards set by the European Union. In addition, defective as well as obsolete electrical products are often recycled to reclaim electrical components which are still operational, but which can include these materials. Consequently, both the new and recycled electrical components can include quantities of the previously described materials which exceed the standards set by the European Union.